Automobile lift



Nov. 1938. D. D. MYERS $139750 AUOMOBILE` LIFT- Filed Sept. l0. 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l l 't n l 1 l i i?" l l l l mr., 938. D D MYERS AUTOMOBILE LIFT Filed sept. 1o, 1955 Patented Nov. 15, 1938 I UNITED STATES PATENT" oFFIscE AUTOMOBILEY LIFT.

Don D. Myers, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Modern `Equipment' Corporation, Defiance, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 10, 1935', Serial No. 39,939

8 Claims. (Cl. 2542-92) An object of my invention is to provide a lift reference numeral llto indicate a post of angular structure for automobiles or other vehicles of cross section. As illustrated, two pairs of the ffour post type in` whichiour posts are mountposts Ill. are provided` and each post has a plateed on a garage oor or the like, and an. autolike foot l2 thereon adapted to rest or be bolted m mobile engaging frame isvertically movable. relaagainst a garage floor or the like I4 (see Fig. 3). `51 tive to the posts, this structure being compara- A greater number of pairs of posts may be used tively simple andinexpensvetomanufacture and however, if the lift is, designed. for exceptionally also durable. long automobiles, such as busses and theA like,

A further object is to provide posts with stawhich wouldV require longY carriage frames and Il); tionarysclew threadedshaftsand a carriage vermake support intermediate the ends thereof de- 10 tically movable relative to the shafts and guided sirable. The posts IU. are. unconnected except by by the posts; a. carriage frame comprising longitudinal rails I6 Another Objectis to provide means for so moving and transverse rails t8: secured to the ends of the the` carriage and comprising nuts mounted on rails I6. Each end of each rail I'is provided with l the shafts, and. adapted` upon rotationV to move a guideV casting` 2l).4 These castings are similar 15 `vertically relative thereto `and carry with themthe with the exception of the one at the near: corner carriage` frame. in Figure 1, having an extension 22. The castings Atfurthei. object is. to provide simple means for may be Seeured eS by Welding 24' t0I the. endS rotating the nuts comprising .a reversible motor ofthe beams I8. Each of the castings 20, es heSt 2.or and a continuous. chain. extending` around the shown in Figure 4', haS a pair 0f grOOVeS 26 and 28 2O sprockets on each of thenuts.` adapted to be guided by the edges of the flanges of Another, object is to provide simple control the angle like posts |0`y one of the grooves pref.- means. for the motor consisting of. a reversing erably terminating in a hwk-like flange 3U. switch. which' can be manually` positioned for In each post I0 `I provide a stationary soreW `25 either.V raising or lowering the carriage` frame, threaded Shaft 32, the upper end 01 Which iS 25 automatic. stopping means being provided, in the Welded in and suspended by anut 34 and the lower form of antalcutment` at the top and bottom of` one end 0f Which iS InOVefhle laterally. The nut 34 of` the` posts. to throw the switch to inoperative is in turn carried by a. cap member 36 on the posti, positiony when. either the top or bottom limit of having an angular socket 38. to supportinely and 3o movement isreached.A i non-rotatably receive thenut 34. The nut serves 30 With these and. other. objects in view my invenmerely as a suspendl'lng and Connecting means betion consists in the construction, arrangement and tween` the threaded Shaft 32 and the upper end Of combinationY of the various parts of the device, the POSt-U- whereby theobjects. contemplated are attained, as On each ShaftV 32 I DifOVide a I'Otetable Sprocket 35 hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in nut, Which ObViOuSly 1111011Y I'OtatOn Will treVel 35 my claimsrand' illustrated in theA accompanying either up 0r dOWn longitudinally 0f the Shaft,

drawings, infvvhichz. depending onits direction of rotation'.-A The nuts Figure llista perspective view of anf automobile 46 threugh thrust ball beeringS 4D SuDlOOrt the lift embodying my invention. castings 20, the bearings being received in sockets 4Q FiguraZ isa plan view of the same showing 42` thereof and resting on shoulders 44 of the 40 in addition. to Figure 1f a pair of axle supports. IllltS 46- i Figure 3 is an. enlarged sectional view on` the The sprocket of each nut 46 is actuated by a line 3-31 of` Figure 2, showing the drive means `chain 48 passing around the sprockets. The for the lift... chain 48 is continuous, extending around each Figure 4 is a planviewpartly in section on. the Sprocket, 21S Shown in Figure 2, and Over dleI'S 45 line 4--4 of. Figure 3, showing details of struc- 50 Carried by the Castings 20', end Other idlerS ture. i t 52 located at the junctions ofthe carriage beams Figure 5. is a4 sectional View on the line 5-5 of i6 and I3. t Figure 2 showing a ramp used in connection with The Chain 43 elSO extends` MOU-nd e' driVe the lift; and sprocket 54 mounted on a shaft 56. The shaft 50 Figure 6 is a side elevation of one of the corner 56 iS driven 21S thrOugh e gen1 53- and a piniOn 60 posts looking in the directionv of the arrow 6 adby a reversibleV electric motor 62. jacent Figure 1, and showing the control` mecha- The motor `62 is supported onv a housing 64 for nism for the lift. the gears 58: and 60. The housing 64' has a` cylin- 55 On the accompanying drawingsl haveused the drical; projectionV 66 tting snugly in a bore 68 55 of the casting extension 22. The shaft 56 is located eccentrically relative to the cylinder 68 whereby the cylinder may be rotated for tightening the chain48 as it becomes worn. .The adjustment may be retained by av clamping bolt 10 extending through perforated split ears 12 of the casting extension 22. Upon loosening this bolt, the entire motor and gear casing 64 can be rotated to secure the chain adjustment. The arc of adjustment is'indicated at 14 in Figure 4, the minimum tightness of adjustment being illustrated in this gure.

The rails I6 are adapted to either engage the axles of an` automobile directly, or transverse axle engaging elements 16 and 18 can be mounted thereon for sliding movement longitudinally of the beams i6. For convenience in sliding the axle supports 16 and 18, Y-shaped rods 80 are connected therewith and extend to a convenient operating position beyond the ends of the beams IB. By means of the rods 80, the axle supports 16 and 18 can be adjusted beneath an automobile to a position in alignment with the axles thereof.

Ramps 82 are provided and secured to the floor I4 by lag screws or the like 84. The ramps may be made of heavy sheet metal and formed in triangular shape, as shown in Figure 5, and reinforced with vertical webs 86 if desired.

The ramps incline from the floor I4 upwardly to the tops of the rails I8, so that the wheels v of an automobile can readily pass over the bars -when positioning the automobile between the posts 0f the lift.

For controlling the motor 62 I provide a 'switch 88 having a control handle 90. As shown in Figure 4, when this handle is swung toward the left, the motor 62 rotates in the proper direction for raising the lift. When swung toward the right, the motor rotates in the reverse direction, while when the lever is in the central fullline position, the motor is de-energized.

The handle 90 has an extension 92 adapted to co-operate with actuating lugs 94 and 96 at the top and bottom the nearest post in Figure V1. The lugs 94 and 96 have-inclined or cam shaped lower and upper faces respectively, as shown at 94a and 96a in Figure 6. When the lever 90 is swung toward the left for causing the lift to raise, the rextension 92 will swing toward vthe right into the path of the lug 94a. Adjacent the upper linut of movement of the lift, the extension SI2y will engage the cam surface 94a, thus automatically swinging the lever 90 to the central or off position. Likewise, at the lower limit of movement the cam surface 96a swings the lever to the central or off position. Thus a simple means is provided for automatically stopping the lift at either limit of its movement.

The posts Ill, it will be noted, are entirely independent of each other, except that they are connected by the threaded shafts and castings 20. Thus it is unnecessary to provide any connecting frame at the tops of the posts which would be an inconvenient obstruction, inasmuch as the carriage frame, as it rises, serves as a means to retain the posts l0 in proper position relative to each other and in a rigidv supporting position for the carriage frame.

The motor and all operating parts for the lift are carried by the carriage frame, and the control switch is likewise carried by the carriage frame.Y This considerably simplifies the construction of the machine without sacrificing any mechanical advantages inherent in a lift of the kind in which the motor is mounted stationary relative to the posts. Since screw threaded shafts are provided, the chain 48 can operate at a considerable speed Without producing excessive lifting speed of the lift itself. The use of screw threaded shafts also makes the lift self-locking in any position it is stopped. Also the threaded shafts serve as a substantial support for the lift ,in any of its positions.

It is obvious also from the foregoing that numerous changes might be made in the construction, arrangement and operation of the parts, and it is my purpose to cover by my claims any modifications in structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may reasonably come within the scope of my invention and of the claims. f

I claim as my invention:

1. In a lift structure, a plurality of upright posts independently mounted and each having a socket in its upper end, a screw threaded shaft carried by each post, a head on the upper end of each screw threaded shaft, said heads being received non-rotatably in said sockets, a carriage frame vertically movable relative to said posts, nuts supporting said carriage frame and rotatable relative thereto and relative to said screw threaded shafts, and means carried by said carriage frame for rotating-said nuts.

2. In a lift structure, a plurality of upright posts, a screw threaded shaft carried by each post, and having an angular head received in a socket in the upper end of said post and non-rotatively suspended thereby, a carriage frame vertically movable relative to said posts, nuts supporting said carriage frame and rotatable relative thereto and relative to said screw threaded shafts, and means carried by said carriage frame for rotating said nuts.

3. In a lift structure, a plurality of upright posts, a screw threaded shaft carried by each post, a carriage frame vertically movable relative to said posts and comprising transverse and longitudinal beams, nuts supporting said carraige frame and rotatable relative thereto and relative to said screw threaded shafts, and means carried by said carriage frame for rotating said nuts, said means comprising a motor, a sprocket on each nut and a chain extendngaround the sprockets and driven by the motor, the stretches of s-aid chain extending adjacent said transverse and longitudinal beams from one sprocket to another, said means including a cylindrical member, rotatably mounted means for locking it against rotation and a drive sprocket carried thereby and located off center relative thereto whereby upon being unlocked said cylindrical member may be rotated to adjust the tension of said chain.

4. In a lift structure, a plurality of upright posts each having a socket in its upper end, a screw threaded shaft carried byv each post, and having a head non-rotatably received in the socket thereof and suspended thereby, a carriage frame vertically movable relative to said posts, nuts supporting said carriage frame and rotatable relative thereto and relative to said screw threaded shafts, and means carried by said carriage frame for rotating said nuts, said carriage frame comprising longitudinal vehicle supporting beams and transverse beams connected therewith for supporting said longitudinal beams.

5. In a lift structure, a plurality of upright posts, a carriage frame guided thereby for vertical movement, a screw threaded shaft and nut means for imparting vertical movement to said carriage Y frame, a chain for driving said nuts, means for driving said chain comprising a drive sprocket and means for mounting said sprocket so that the tension of said chain can be adjusted comprising an annular member, said sprocket being journaled eccentrically relative thereto, a mounting ring receiving said annular member and means for locking said annular member relative to said mounting ring.

6. In a lift structure, a plurality of upright angular shaped posts, a screw threaded shaft non-rotatably suspended from the upper end of each post and having their lower ends movable laterally relative to said posts, a carriage frame vertically movable relative to said shafts and guided by said posts, nuts threaded on said shafts and rotatable relative to said carriage frame, said nuts supporting the frame relative to said shafts, and motive means` carried by the frame for rotating said nuts simultaneously.

7. A lift having laterally spaced, vertical posts, a vertically disposed screw held against axial and rotative movement by each one of said posts, the lower part of each of said screws being movable laterally, a rotatable nut threaded onto the laterally movable part of the corresponding screw and being laterally movable relative to the corresponding post, a horizontal platform moved vertically by and supported directly on all of said nuts, and means for simultaneously rotating all of said nuts to move said platform vertically.

8. A lift having laterally, vertical posts, a screw within each of said posts, the upper end of each of said screws being non-rotatably supported on the corresponding of said posts to swing relative thereto and the lower end of each of said screws being` free to move laterally relative thereto.

DON D. MYERS. 

